Shoe construction incorporating cushioned sock lining

ABSTRACT

A shoe construction incorporating a sock lining filled with a cushioning material. The lining covering the upper inner surface of the shoe is sewn along its outer periphery to the edges of a cushioned sock lining. An inner sole is adhesively attached to the outer portion of the sock lining and an outer sole is affixed to the inner sole to provide a firm outer surface.

United States Patent [72] Inventor Josef S811 2,164,465 7/1939 Merritt36/51 63-36 Bourton St., Rego Park, N.Y. 11374 3,143,812 8/1964 Bittnerr 36/44 [21] Appl. No. 33,346 2,069,083 1/1937 Adamson 36/51 [22] FiledApr. 30, 1970 2,140,302 12/1938 Roberts 36/51 [45] Patented Dec. 28,1971 2,121,604 6/1938 Lynch et a1. 36/44 3,148,463 9/1964 Tibbitts 36/44541 SHOE CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATING Gues CUSHIONED SOCK LINING Attorney-Polachek, Saulsbury & Haugh 8 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S. C1 36/2.5 R, ABSTRACT: A shoe construction incorporating asock lining 36/44, 36/51 filled with a cushioning material. The liningcovering the [51] Int. Cl A43b 9/00 upper inner surface of the shoe issewn along its outer [50] Field of Search 36/25 R, periphery to theedges of a cushioned sock lining. An inner 44, 51 sole is adhesivelyattached to the outer portion ofthe sock lining and an outer sole isaffixed to the inner sole to provide a References Cited firm outersurface.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,344,537 10/1967 Diamant 36/25 R l2 l4 IOPATENTED DEC28 12m SHEET 2 [IF 2 INVENTOR.

JOSEF SEIF 9 fl7 ATTURNE 5 SHOE CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATING CUSHIONEDSOCK LINING This invention relates to footwear construction and inparticular to a shoe fabrication incorporating a cushioned sock lining.The sock lining so incorporated forms an integral part of the shoeconstruction and provides added foot comfort besides being an efficientand economical means for shoe manufacture.

Various and sundry devices have been employed in the footwear industryfor alleviating or preventing irritation and soreness to the wearersfeet, occasioned by a tired, burning sensation which is especiallyprevelant in connection with ladies high-heeled shoes. The use of footpads as cushioning devices commonly inserted separately within the shoe,have proven generally ineffective and usually slip or shift within theshoe due to the forces exerted by the weight of the wearer. Thereforesuch devices are uncomfortable and ineffective in providing completefoot comfort.

Conventional means of shoe manufacture also incorporate such cushioningdevices directly into the shoe, usually by adhesively positioning a padmade of foam rubber or felt material to the inner sole of theshoe. Thismethod of so fabricating the shoe has certain inherent disadvantages,among them that of increased stiffness to the foot wear; additionaloperations or steps in the manufacture of the shoe thereby increasingthe unit costs, and finally these pads themselves have not provedentirely successful because after continued usage the foam rubber orfelt material from which they are constructed becomes so compressedand/or repositioned by the weight of the wearer's foot that it loses itsresiliency and cushioning effect.

The shoe construction of this present invention incorporating acushioned sock lining overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of theprior art, and provides a sock lining which gives continued foot comfortthroughout the life of the shoe.

The present invention encompasses a shoe construction having an upperinner shoe lining which is stitched along its lower periphery to a socklining filled with a cushioning material. An inner sole of the shoe isadhesively attached to the outer portion of the sock lining and an outersole is affixed to the inner sole. Additionally transverse stitching isplaced through the sock lining and cushioning material to prevent theshifting or repositioning of the cushioning material especially underthose areas of the wearer's foot where the weight is concentrated.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a shoeconstruction incorporating a cushioned sock lining of the generalcharacter described herein which is not subject to the aforementioneddisadvantages.

Specifically it is an object of the instant invention to provide a shoeconstruction incorporating a cushioned sock lining which will add to thewearers foot comfort and will not increase the stiffness of the shoe.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a shoeconstruction wherein the cushioning material will not shift or slidewithin the shoe nor lose its resiliency and cushioning effect.

Another object of this invention is to provide a show constructionincorporating a cushioned sock lining wherein the individualmanufacturing operations and resultant cost of manufacture is reduced.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will be apparent from the following description of thepreferred embodiment considered in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

In the accompanying drawings in which are shown some of the variouspossible embodiments of the invention:

FIG. I is an exploded perspective view of the shoe vamp, upper shoelining and cushioned sock lining in the initial stage of shoeconstruction, further indicating by means of the needle and broken linewhere the cushioned sock lining is stitched to the upper shoe lining.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showingin detail the cushioning material contained between the base and uppersheets of the cushioned sock lining.

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. Ishowing the manner in which the cushioned sock lining is sewn to theshoe lining forming the upper inner surface of the shoe.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on a slightly reduced scale showing theshoe vamp, and depending lining stitched to the cushioned sock lining.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view on a slightly reduced scaleshowing the shoe vamp and attached rear quarter panel surrounding thecushioned sock lining and positioned to receive an inner sole.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5 andshowing the inner sole attached to the outer surface of the cushionedsock lining.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view on a slightly reduced scaleshowing the turned in outer edge of the shoe vamp and the outer solepositioned over same.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 8-8 of FIG. 7 andshows the outer sole afiixed to the inner sole and the outer edge of theshoe vamp interlaid between the inner sole and outer sole.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral l0denotes generally the cushioned sock lining. The shoe construction inaccordance with this invention incorporating the cushioned sock liningl0 encompasses the utilization of a shoe vamp 12 cut or shaped toconform to the particular shoe last employed for the desired size andstyle of shoe. The shoe vamp l2 constitutes substantially that portionof the shoe which covers the instep and toes, and is preferably made ofleather or other lightweight durable synthetic material. A vamp lining14 is positioned contiguous to the shoe vamp 12 and is attached to theshoe vamp 12 along a coterminus edge 16 as by sewing same thereto toform stitches 18. The coterminus edge 16 defines a central shoe opening17, through which the wearers foot enters the shoe. A gore 20 isprovided along the coterminus edge 16 and an elastic material 22 isinterposed between the shoe vamp 12 and vamp lining l4 and is sewntherein such that the elastic material 22spans the gore 20 and providesadded flexibility to the central shoe opening 17 to facilitate the entryof the wearer's foot into the shoe. The vamp lining 14, similar to theshoe vamp 12, is preferably made from leather or other durablelightweight synthetic material.

The cushioned sock lining 10 is fabricated from a base sheet 24 and anupper sheet 26, both sheets being cut to and conforming with the outlineof the shoe sole, which in turn, will be dependent upon the shoe sizeand style. A common outer edge 32 of the base sheet 24 and upper sheet26 are sewn together as with a needle 36 and a common thread 37 to formstitches 19; the envelope so formed encloses a filler or cushioningmaterial 28. Additionally, an auxiliary seam 30 may be stitched throughthe cushioned sock lining 10 between any two points along the outer edge32 of the sock lining 10 to thus segregate the cushioning material 28into distinct and separate units (see FIG. 2). This segregation of thecushioning material 28 particularly in those areas where the wearer'sweight distribution tends to be concentrated, e.g. the ball of the foot,or heel, and will thus prevent the cushioning material 28 from beingrepositioned or moved from those areas. The illustration of FIG. 1 showsthe auxiliary seam 30 segregating a generally oval shaped portion of thecushioning material 28 underlying the ball of the wearers foot. Thebottom sheet 24 of cushioned sock lining 10 is preferably made of acloth material and the upper sheet 26 which will be adjacent and incontact with the wearer's foot is preferably made of a smooth vinyl,leather, or other nonirritating and smooth surface finish material.

The lower peripheral edge 34 of the vamp lining 14 is sewn to thecushioned sock lining 10 along the outer edges 32 of said sock lining 10as shown in FIG. 3 wherein the needle 36 and common thread 37 arespecifically illustrated. After the vamp lining 14 has been sewn to thecushioned sock lining 10, a pocket 38 will be formed between the vamplining l4 and cushioned sock lining 10, said pocket being suitable foraccommodating a shoe last." The shoe vamp 12 is turned downwardly overthe shoe last and vamp lining l4 and an additional rear quarter panel 40of the same material as the shoe vamp 12, is sewn between twoextremities 42 and 43 of the shoe vamp 12 to complete the outer shoecovering. A peripheral edge 44 of the shoe vamp 12 extends below thecushioned sock lining l and thereby defines a recessed area under thesock lining for accommodating an inner sole 46 which is bonded, by meansof an appropriate adhesive substance 52, to the base sheet 24 of thecushioned sock lining 10. The adhesive may be any of the conventionalglues used in the shoe industry. The peripheral edge 44 of shoe vamp 12may then be turned inwardly or folded around the inner sole 46. Severalcuts or slits 48 may be provided in the peripheral edge 44 so as topermit the peripheral edge 44 to overlap and conform to the curvature ofthe inner sole 46 and thus produce a neat appearance. An outer sole 48having an attached heel 50 is then affixed to the inner sole 46 by meansof the adhesive bonding substance 52.

It is to be noted that the filler or cushioning material 28 may consistof polyurethane foam or other material having similar characteristics.it should also be apparent that the abovedescribed shoe constructionwill provide a soft, pliable and comfortable cushioned sock liningwithout increasing the stiffness of the shoe and additionally providesan economical and improved shoe construction.

The above-cited embodiment is intended as exemplary and while it hasdescribed the invention with a specific implementation thereof, othermodifications and various changes might be made in the embodiment as soset forth and will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

It should therefore be understood that all material herein described orshown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningcomprising a shoe vamp forming the upper and instep outer portions of ashoe closed at the back and toe thereof, a vamp lining forming an innershoe surface, said vamp lining having an outside surface contiguous withthe shoe vamp and affixed thereto along a top coterminus edge, saidcoterrninus edge defining a central shoe opening, an inner sole to saidshoe, a cushioned sock lining conforming in shape to the inner sole ofthe shoe, said cushioning sock lining comprising a base sheet, an uppersheet and a foamed filler material interposed between said base andupper sheets, means for flushly attaching an inside surface of the lowerperipheral edge of the vamp lining to the upper sheet at the edge of thesock lining for forming a pocket therebetween having the sock lining asa lower inner surface, said attaching means also attaching an upperperipheral surface of said base sheet to a lower peripheral surface ofsaid upper sheet, said inner sole being bonded to a lower surface of thebase sheet, an outer sole, an upper surface of said outer sole beingfastened to the inner soles lower surface, and the lower peripheral edgeof the shoe vamp being disposed and secured between the inner solesperipheral lower surface and the outer soles peripheral upper surface.

2. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock iiningas claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the lowerperipheral edge of the vamp lining to the edge of the sock liningcomprises the sewing same thereto with a common thread.

3. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningas claimed in claim 2, wherein the vamp lining is affixed to the shoevamp by means of sewing same thereto with a common thread I 4. A shoeconstruction incorporating an integral cushioned sock lining as claimedin claim 4, wherein the base and upper sheets are fastened by means ofsewing same thereto with a common thread, and further including anauxiliary seam stitched through the filler material thus dividing thecushioned sock lining into separate portions for underlying distinctfoot areas of concentrated weight.

5. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningas claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner sole is bonded to the basesheet by means of an adhesive substance.

6. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningas claimed in claim 5, wherein the coterminus edge of the shoe vamp andvamp lining defining the central opening further define a gore areaending from the central opening and include an elastic material spanningsaid gore area for permitting flexibility in the size of the centralshoe opening.

7. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningas claimed in claim 6, wherein the foam filler material within thecushioned sock lining comprises a polyurethane foam.

8. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningas claimed in claim 7, wherein the outer sole is fastened to the innersole by means of an adhesive substance.

1. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock liningcomprising a shoe vamp forming the upper and instep outer portions of ashoe closed at the back and toe thereof, a vamp lining forming an innershoe surface, said vamp lining having an outside surface contiguous withthe shoe vamp and affixed thereto along a top coterminus edge, saidcoterminus edge defining a central shoe opening, an inner sole to saidshoe, a cushioned sock lining conforming in shape to the inner sole ofthe shoe, said cushioning sock lining comprising a base sheet, an uppersheet and a foamed filler material interposed between said base andupper sheets, means for flushly attaching an inside surface of the lowerperipheral edge of the vAmp lining to the upper sheet at the edge of thesock lining for forming a pocket therebetween having the sock lining asa lower inner surface, said attaching means also attaching an upperperipheral surface of said base sheet to a lower peripheral surface ofsaid upper sheet, said inner sole being bonded to a lower surface of thebase sheet, an outer sole, an upper surface of said outer sole beingfastened to the inner sole''s lower surface, and the lower peripheraledge of the shoe vamp being disposed and secured between the innersole''s peripheral lower surface and the outer sole''s peripheral uppersurface.
 2. A shoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned socklining as claimed in claim 1, wherein the means for attaching the lowerperipheral edge of the vamp lining to the edge of the sock liningcomprises the sewing same thereto with a common thread.
 3. A shoeconstruction incorporating an integral cushioned sock lining as claimedin claim 2, wherein the vamp lining is affixed to the shoe vamp by meansof sewing same thereto with a common thread.
 4. A shoe constructionincorporating an integral cushioned sock lining as claimed in claim 4,wherein the base and upper sheets are fastened by means of sewing samethereto with a common thread, and further including an auxiliary seamstitched through the filler material thus dividing the cushioned socklining into separate portions for underlying distinct foot areas ofconcentrated weight.
 5. A shoe construction incorporating an integralcushioned sock lining as claimed in claim 4, wherein the inner sole isbonded to the base sheet by means of an adhesive substance.
 6. A shoeconstruction incorporating an integral cushioned sock lining as claimedin claim 5, wherein the coterminus edge of the shoe vamp and vamp liningdefining the central opening further define a gore area ending from thecentral opening and include an elastic material spanning said gore areafor permitting flexibility in the size of the central shoe opening.
 7. Ashoe construction incorporating an integral cushioned sock lining asclaimed in claim 6, wherein the foam filler material within thecushioned sock lining comprises a polyurethane foam.
 8. A shoeconstruction incorporating an integral cushioned sock lining as claimedin claim 7, wherein the outer sole is fastened to the inner sole bymeans of an adhesive substance.